Tender Touch (37 page)

“Thank you, Lord. I owe you one.” Lanessa
let out a sigh of relief. A tear slid down one cheek.

“But they say you attacked some guy.” Jade
still found this to be the biggest shock of the night. “You’ve
never even swatted a fly in your life.”

“Wha...?” Lanessa wore a perplexed frown.
“Wait a minute. Things are kinda fuzzy.” She tried to sit up. “Oh,
now I remember.”

“Take it easy.” Jade put a hand on her
shoulder. “No sudden moves.”

“That bastard. I gave him a crack on the
head. I’d do it again, too.” Lanessa showed a spark of
defiance.

“That kind of talk won’t help in court. You
might be charged with assault.” Jade wondered how they would get
through the next few weeks. Shaena could help them find an
attorney.

“Then I’ll face it. Being a drunk is no
license for rape.” Lanessa went limp against the pillow. “Well, I
finally said it out loud, Jade-girl.”

“We’re going to be with you all the way.”
Jade felt hopeful about Lanessa’s future for the first time that
night.

“Oh, no—Mama and Daddy.” Lanessa closed her
eyes. Tears flowed down her cheeks. “They must be so ashamed.”

Jade wiped away her tears tenderly. “No,
Nessa. They feel only love and joy that you’re going to be all
right. And you will be. More than all right. Better.”

“I don’t care how much it hurts, give me a
hug,” Lanessa whispered.

Jade still had both arms around her in a
loose embrace when their parents came in. The blonde nurse stuck
her head inside, and after seeing the family together, gave the
thumbs-up that it was okay.

Later Jade went home tired and scared. Her
whole life like an earthquake. The ground seemed to shake and crack
beneath her feet. There was nothing solid she could hold on to
these days. Tears flowed down her face as she cried silently. How
she needed arms around her now. Damon’s arms. But that wouldn’t,
couldn’t happen. The career she cherished seemed in jeopardy, her
sister was almost killed because she lacked the courage to act...
and then there was Damon. She’d pushed him right back to his
ex-wife. For the rest of the night, she stared at the television
screen without seeing the succession of salespeople on a
twenty-four hour shopping channel.

* * *

“Jade, you handled this process. I think
you’ll need to be at the hearing with me.” Bill handed her a stack
of vinyl folders with labels on them.

“Sure.” Jade gazed at him in speculation.
“I’ll take it with me when I leave early today.”

“Oh, that’s right. Sorry to hear about your
sister.” Bill spoke in a monotone, his response an automatic
courtesy manner. “Look over the section on Magnolia Hospital,
too.”

“I’ll pull the file.” Jade left him staring
at the mounds of paperwork on his desk.

For the last two days, she’d noticed a
difference in him: a coolness, a distance that had not been there
before. And she kept getting instructions to pull all
correspondence dealing with the hospital certificates. Bill no
longer had a casual, confident attitude about the legislator’s
questions. Now that three articles had been published in the
Morning Advocate, his good humor regarding the accusations was
gone. But what was up between them?

“Hey, Jade. How’s it going?” Shaena came
into her office with a breezy smile.

“Fine, I guess.” Jade glanced back at Bill’s
office.

“Lanessa’s doing better every day. That’s
great.” Shaena spoke loudly. She looked around her.

“Yeah, she’s doing great.” Jade wondered
what she was doing.

Aline, Bill’s secretary, stuck her head in
the door. “I’ve got all the files from out here, but where’s the
one on Health Tech?”

“Oh, I think the original contracts with
signatures are in those big cabinets against the wall, Aline.” Jade
pointed to the section used for storing documents.

“Thanks, I’ll see you later.” Aline’s voice
faded as she walked off.

Shaena closed the door after checking the
hallway once more. “Have you seen this?” She pulled a cut out
section of newspaper from her pocket. “I happened to pick up
today’s Times-Picayune down at the City Newsstand.”

Jade scanned the article: TOP DHH OFFICIAL
USES CON¬NECTIONS. A chill crept up her spine as she read on. “Bill
Lang has gone on cruises aboard the luxury yacht of hospital
magnate Theodore Kingsley. Shaena, this says they’ve been meeting
for the last six years!”

“Uh-huh. He’s been laying the groundwork for
quite a while.” Shaena plopped down in the chair across from
Jade.

“This is unbelievable. It—”

“Stinks to high heaven. Bill was contacted
and quoted as saying those trips were as a friend to Kingsley’s
family.” Shaena pointed to a section in the long article that Jade
had not read yet. “And he ‘delegated certain decision-making
authority to his subordinates who he is confident acted within
established policy. But of course, some errors could have
occurred,’ end of quote.”

Now she understood the cool behavior. Jade
read between the lines. “He’s setting me up to take the fall.”

Bill Lang was signaling to outward observers
that perhaps he had lost confidence in her since probing had
uncovered indications of wrongdoing. The rumor mill in state
government operated with the efficiency of a well-honed high-tech
communications system. A subtle change in their working
relationship was bound to be duly noted and reported up the line,
even to certain legislators. Like many who had risen through the
ranks, Bill understood the game and played it with great skill.
Jade knew the game, but could she compete with Bill Lang and hope
to win?

“What are we going to do?” Shaena sat
forward and spoke in a quiet voice.

“We? Listen, you stay away from me through
all this.”

Shaena tossed her long braids. “No way. Some
friend I’d be to slink off and let you go down. Hey, mess with my
friend, you mess with me.”

“Don’t be crazy, girl. Things can get real
dirty.” Jade remembered how her former boss had suffered. Even
longtime friends who’d come to her defense had been vilified in the
press. Their personal and private lives splashed across headlines
read all over the state.

“There’s talk about charging someone. We’re
wasting time, Jade. I’m in.” Shaena’s pretty brown face was set in
a stubborn expression. “Now let’s think what our next move is going
to be.”

For well over an hour they talked. Finally
Shaena suggested they start by going over every major decision that
had come out of their section since Bill came on board.

“Yeah, we can probably see which way this is
headed. I mean, we know the general direction this reporter is
taking. Psychiatric and nursing home beds. That’s what we’ll really
look at.” Shaena paced the floor like a lawyer preparing for a big
case. She seemed excited.

Jade rubbed her forehead with a sigh. “Like
my great-aunt Gloria used to say: ‘If it ain’t one thing, it’s
two.’” A name on the small print of the article caught her eye. A
sharp pain pierced her chest. “Damon Knight, well-known
businessman, denies that his family ties to members of the
legislative black caucus influenced funding of programs at the
Gracie Center,” she read aloud.

There is was again, an empty feeling
whenever she thought of Damon. Through all the nights of sitting
with Lanessa, Jade could not help thinking of him—a fact that made
her feel like a fool even more. With all the turbulence in her
life, the last thing she needed was to waste emotion on a man who
could leave her without a backward glance. Damon Knight. He was a
creature of the old-money, old-family, black upper-class after
all—a world Rachelle belonged to without question. Rachelle was the
only kind of woman men from his world would consider marrying. Yet
heated dreams of being in his arms, of his voice whispering words
of love, would not go away. More nights than she cared to remember
in the last three weeks had been filled with restless sleep. Jade
raked fingers through her thick shoulder-length hair. She had to
get him out of her mind. And out of your heart, too. A voice, her
voice, sounded clear as a bell inside her head.

“Jade, you should call him.” Shaena, her
female soul mate, could read her like a book. “I think maybe you
jumped to conclusions.”

“No, I’ve thought about it a lot. They
behaved like a couple, Shaena. Nick says they’ve been together
quite a bit.” Jade felt the sting of tears. Stupid to cry for a man
who was so shallow. She blinked them away.

“Nick? What does he know about it?” Shaena
raised an eyebrow.

Jade closed her eyes and had a vision of
Damon holding Rachelle in his arms, passionately kissing her. She
had to stop torturing herself. “You know he travels in the same
circles. He knew her in college, I think he said.”

Shaena rubbed her chin. “That a fact? And
you were having lunch with Nick the day you saw them together.”

“Yes.” Jade opened her eyes back on the real
world. She did not need any more reminders of that day. She picked
up a stack of binders. “Nick is such a pain—like all men. He’s so
trans-parent now.”

“Umm, Nick likes pulling tricks.” Shaena
opened her mouth to say something more.

“I’m embarrassed I couldn’t see through him
years ago. Oh, well, the folly of youth.”

Jade pushed away those thoughts. She needed
all her energy for standing by her sister and now to defend her
reputation, maybe even her career. Men! She became very angry all
of a sudden. Did she have a bull’s-eye painted on her back? The men
in her life seemed to think she was an easy target these days.
Well, Bill Lang was in for an unpleasant surprise.

“Listen, Jade, I’ve got an idea that Ni—”
Shaena started to speak, but Mike Testor opened the door without
knocking.

“Jade, Bill needs to see all memoranda
related to the increase in nursing home payment rates. We’ll be in
his office.” Mike stared at Shaena with a question in his eyes.
“Ten minutes.” He left the door open a few inches when he
withdrew.

“Well, I’ll see you later,” Shaena said in a
loud, staged voice. “Maybe we can have lunch tomorrow.” Then she
stepped close to Jade. “Don’t let them team up on you,” she mumbled
low.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan,” Jade
whispered. “Yeah, call me later. I mean it.”

* * *

Seeing only a green silk tie through the
peephole, Jade opened the door with a wild hope—a hope that faded
when she saw her ex-husband. Nick wore an attitude of cool
confidence like the expensive suits he favored. She tried to deny
she’d wanted to see Damon standing outside her door once again. But
her reaction to the doorbell was no different than the way her
heart pounded whenever the phone rang. Hadn’t she learned her
lesson yet? Here was a very good reason to dislike men.

Jade stared at the flowers in his hand.
“Nick, what is this?”

“A bouquet, lovely and fragrant. Like you,
sweet thing.” Nick’s famous perfect smile flashed like the bulb of
an expensive camera.

For a second Jade mused at just how little
effect it had on her. Once she would have melted at the mere lift
of his mouth. “Whatever,” she deadpanned. With a bland expression,
she took the vase from his hands. “Come in.”

“My, my. Things have changed. You’re going
to let me into your apartment.” He gazed around in appreciation
that was genuine.

“Don’t get excited. I’m being polite. What
do you want?” Jade was more bored than annoyed.

“Great colors. Love these Tanner prints.”
Nick walked around the living room as though he belonged there.

“C’mon, get to the point.”

“The property is going to bring in top
dollar as expected. You should get a healthy check every quarter as
your share. I’m working with a contractor to build three big
warehouses that will be leased.”

“Perfect.” Jade could at least count on more
than her paycheck, the first bright spot in her personal life in
weeks. “Thanks for coming by to tell me.” She went back to the
front door and opened it. “Next time a phone call will do.”

“Where’s my ‘Thank you so much, baby’? I
could have stiffed you on this deal. My lawyer said—”

“Your lawyer advised you that I’d clean your
clock in court if you tried.” Jade batted her eyelashes at him and
smiled sweetly. “Or words to that effect, baby."

“I don’t remember you being so cynical, so
bitter.”

“Nick, it’s been a rough two weeks. So let’s
not pretend.” Jade’s hard outer shell began to weigh heavy. When
she went over all she’d been through, the fight began to seep from
her. She needed a breather.

“Okay, enough with the flip attitude. I’m
sorry.” Nick raised both his palms out. “Let me know if I can help
in any way. I know you’ve been spending a lot of time with Lanessa
and all.” He seemed sincere.

“Thanks, but I’m holding together.” Jade
tried to smile and failed.

“Just barely by the looks of it. Tell you
what, no games for the next hour at least. I’ll fix us some
coffee.” He went into the kitchen.

“Nick, get out of there.” Jade marched in
behind him.

“Great, you still like the same gourmet
blend I drink. You know I have a special touch with coffee. Now
just let me whip up two delicious lattes.” Nick searched through
her cabinets. “Ah, yes. You haven’t changed much.” He drew out a
package of beignet mix. In seconds he’d taken off his jacket and
tie. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

“You have a lot of nerve, Nicholas Lane
Guillory.” Jade planted fists on her hips.

“By the way, you could at least have waited
a few years before dropping my last name. That was the cruelest cut
of all.” He grinned at her.

Jade leaned against the counter and watched
him go through familiar motions. Nick had always been a great cook
because, surprisingly, he enjoyed it. Jade wondered why she did not
throw him out on his butt. The truth was his antics were mildly
amusing. For almost a month very little had appealed to her sense
of humor. Damon. The name popped back into her head. How long would
it take to get over him? Somehow she knew the answer and felt the
return of sorrow.